The Last Fallen One
by livelovemusic95
Summary: What if Kanna wasn't the last winged being and another was hidden? After her brother's death, Riku is now the one being hunted. In an attempt to atone for her sins, she commits the ultimate sacrifice.  Original Character-ONE SHOT. EDITED AND UPDATED


The Last Fallen One

Just a one shot that's been lingering in my mind for a while. I know it's probably darker than most would think, but I do hope you could give it a shot. Please review!

**Onii-san=brother (formal because Kei is older in this case)

**Miko=priestess

**This takes place a little a few months after Kanna's story.

**EDITED AND UPDATED

I ran and kept running. I didn't care whether or not I needed to breathe. I just kept running. The whistles of arrows filled the silent air. My long black hair clung to my sweaty face and tangled in branches. In my palm was a shining blue sphere. It glowed eerily against my pale skin yet it provided me with some comfort. It rekindled my ever-burning determination. I heard the pounding of hooves and ran even harder. As I ran, I remembered what Onii-san told me before he was betrayed and killed….

"Riku, this is a miko and she's here to help you. All you need to do stand there and close your eyes. You can sleep if you want."

I did as Kei onii-san asked of me. I would never disobey my older brother. His kind blue eyes contrasted with his short brown hair. I woke up and the beautiful miko gave me this blue sphere. she smiled and said, "I sealed your wings in this orb. Protect this and never give it to anyone. Break the seal when you need to."

I nodded while only half-understanding the situation and she left for my brother's castle. I was only 13 at the time and never realized that my brother would die shortly after. Only after his death did I realize that Priestess Kaya loved my brother. Kei onii-san also knew of his own betrayal long before his death. He sealed my wings shortly after he became the lord of the village and hid me from the villagers to help me live a normal life. He was a military genius and everyone looked up to him. He was a skilled swordsman and taught me his skills.

My kind brother died from the hands of his trusted advisors who happened upon my brother's secret. He let his guard down and unfurled his wings because I asked him to. Once they found out he was a winged being, their fear pushed them to an assault. _It was all my fault. Everything was all my fault._ What they didn't understand was that Kei onii-san would never hurt them, despite the countless other winged ones who took their revenge on innocent villagers. He didn't even want to hurt his people who rebelled against him, so he flew away at midnight with his wings shining brightly. That night was a new moon. The village monks cursed him and in his attempt to break it, he was pierced in the heart by an arrow he designed himself. I saw him fall from the sky and die with my own eyes. With the miko at my side, we took revenge and slaughtered those who wished to burn down the castle. I was badly wounded resulting in a large scar on my left arm, while the miko bled to death from a sword wound. We fought bravely, but wrongly; so many were killed by our bloodthirsty hearts. The villagers never touched the castle after the battle. That is until one man, Kappei rekindled the harsh feelings of the villagers resulting in my own persecution 3 years later. I was 16 now.

They thought I was a mere consort of Kei onii-san like the miko was who held onto his memory, but they didn't understand how I was a winged being myself. I only had my powers and my wings sealed.

I continued to run while swallowing the sphere knowing the seal was probably weak by now. It dissolved instantly and I felt myself getting stronger with every footstep. The warmth of my own strength spread throughout my body, pulsing with my blood. A thorn branch whipped past my shoulder spraying crimson blood on the foliage. The pain was just a nuisance and I felt my wings grow slowly on my back. My wounds slowly healed. I was a little taller than most girls my age and had to duck constantly under branches.

I never learned magic, but as I reached the cliff, I made a wish for all the other winged beings. I was the last of the winged beings, not the Kannabi no mikoto who died a tragic death like my brother. I was the hidden winged being. I didn't need to be a priestess to know the basic principles of magic. I stood overlooking the cliff and unsheathed the dagger the miko cast a spell on. The ocean was dotted with jagged rocks and the waves were rough. The sun pierced the thin veil of clouds. I heard the samurai surround me. One grabbed my wrist to prevent me from using the dagger and my hair to pull my head back. Another had a blade to my neck and forced me to kneel. I relaxed and his grip loosened just enough for me to flick my wrist and throw the dagger. It quickly whistled through the air and cut my waist length hair unevenly. I ducked under the samurai's blade and swiftly regained my dagger. I stabbed the nearest samurai in the neck and kicked another's head. Both crumpled to the ground. With a quick air swipe of the dagger, all their anguished cries were cut off abruptly. I became a killer and I knew that. I didn't dare dwell to see the blood and gore I caused. My soul was condemned and I knew it. At a young age, I killed many innocent people. I remember how my gray eyes turned black with hatred when I was just 13. There was no saving for me. _Might as well use your soul for something good._

The red ribbons of the spell of the monks surrounded me. I darted around the small cliff trying to get it off me, but I resorted to my wings and took flight for the first time. My silver wings broke through the spell and I used my dagger to slice through the last remnants of it. They shook as I flapped them trying to gain my balance. I flew towards the sun until a streak of pain burst through my mind. An arrow nimbly lodged itself in my wing tainting my white feathers red. I dove towards the ocean. More arrows stabbed my body and I wished with all my heart that the curses cast upon all winged beings were broken. The swell of emotions enveloped my mind. As I hit the ocean, I sacrificed my soul. My body burst into fragments of light. My last thought echoed in the air carried by my small feathers. _It's enough._

I didn't know that all the curses were freed upon that sacrifice. All except the Kannabi no Mikoto's, whose curse was too strong to be broken, but I shortened the length from 10,000 summers to just 1,000 summers long. _It's enough._


End file.
